What Are You Reading? Inspirational books from New England Wax Members
Art is not created in a vacuum; it is influenced by the world around us, including literature. Just as painters draw inspiration from the colors of nature and musicians find melodies in the rhythm of life, artists of all kinds often find themselves drawn to the pages of a good book for creative fuel. So, what are the literary tastes shaping the minds and imaginations of our vibrant art community today?
Here are just a few picks from our New England Wax community:
The Story of Art Without Men, by Katy Hessel Selected by N.E.W. member Deborah Peeples.
“It’s a wonderful survey of women artists, many of whom I knew nothing about. Folks may be familiar with the author through The Great Women Artists Podcast. The book is organized chronologically, beginning with the Renaissance, placing the artists, and art movements into historical context. The book is engagingly written and there are beautiful photos of almost every included artist’s work, but it’s handy to sit at a computer and scroll through additional images. A must for every artist’s library! “
“One of my longtime favorite art books,” says –Willa Vennema is about Odilon Redon Odilon Redon by Roseline Bacou. Redon is a French artist (1840-1916) who worked in black and white for most of his life but then started working in color in his later years. This book focuses on his pastels and his portraits, floral works, and some narrative works. I love Redon’s use of rich jewel-toned colors. His floral works are composed of just a vase with interesting floral arrangements— no setting to distract from the subject.
Jeanne Borofsky believes two of the Best Encaustic books are: Art of Encaustic Painting by Joanne Mattera, and Embracing Encaustic by Linda Womack. She has so many other art books she loves but “ it would take all day to list …. but surely anything with antiques or art maps would be on the list”
Charyl Weissbach found that her favorite pick was Robert Henri’s, The Art Spirit. “very inspirational with a good deal of technical advice throughout its pages“ something an abstract expressionist like herself found informative because of a tendency to rely heavily on feeling rather than convention within her artwork.
“In this book are the essential beliefs and theories of a great teacher and American artist, Robert Henri. While it embodies the entire system of his teaching, with much technical advice and critical comment for the student, it also contains inspiration for those to whom the happiness to be found through all the arts is important.”
Written 100 years ago, The Art Spirit by Robert Henri is an influential book for artists, and especially American artists. It still remains one of the best-selling books on art and creativity, and it attracts new readers with every generation.
Kay Hartung just finished a great biography/art book about Ruth Asawa. Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa
“I always liked her work and recently saw her exhibit at the Whitney Museum. She was really innovative and despite obstacles like being in an internment camp during WWII she pursued her vision of being an artist as well as raising a family of 6 children. She was also an activist and pushed for a public art high school to be established in San Francisco, worked on projects with children, and created public sculpture. She was an all-around good person and I was very inspired.”
Everything She Touched: is the story of a woman who wielded imagination and hope in the face of intolerance and who transformed everything she touched into art.
Donna Hamil Talbot wanted to share two books she highly recommends.
I fell in love with art from Africa years ago. Many everyday objects were equal parts functional and artistic. I was startled when I first saw El Anatsui’s glorious, golden-colored, huge, draped wall pieces, and discovered they were made of the soda can flip tops gathered from street trash. This was some of the first art using recycled objects I had seen. El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa gives a broader view of this exceptionally talented artist.
Every year or so, or other times when I am sluggish getting into the studio, I pick up Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit. As a dancer and choreographer, she explores how ritual and routine nourish creativity. That, dependably gets me going again. Tharp encourages ways for you to create and stick to a routine that endures.
I thoroughly relished immersing myself in “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by Rick Rubin. I opted for the Audible version, and the audio quality surpassed expectations, likely crafted in a top-tier studio. Rubin, serving as the narrator, evidently poured considerable dedication into articulating his work authentically. His resonant and composed voice lent credence to the book’s essence. Brimming with inspirational quotes and numerous moments of enlightenment, I’m confident you’ll glean a wealth of insight from this remarkable book.
“All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.”
“We’re all different and we’re all imperfect, and the imperfections are what makes each of us and our work interesting.”
Written by soosen dunholter a member of New England Wax.
Wonderful selection! I’m going to look into a few of these books. Thank you Soosen!
Such a fun blog! Lots of books to add to my reading list. Thank you all.
Lovely list and descriptions
Several of the books in this article have been stacked in my reading pile, waiting for me to catch up and read them. Alas, I’ll have to add the Asawa and El Anatsui books. Thanks, Soosen, for this roundup.
Thank you all for sharing your inspiration! “Art Spirit” by Robert Henri is a favorite and Joanne Mattera’s “The Art of Encaustic Painting” often gets brought out for reference and recipes. Both have been staples in my art library. It’s nice to have some new recommendations!
I’m always pulling out Joanne’s book for reference!
Thanks Soosen for the great idea and putting it
together. I’ll refer to this list often.
This is fabulous. Thank you so much. I would like to add to next months post. I am most grateful to Soosen for creating this.
Great idea to recommend books. Will be adding some of these to my book list.
This inspired me to buy Rick Rubin’s book. It is a joy to read as he discusses the creative act and how special it is and available to everyone.